Japan traffic accident deaths up in Jan-June for 1st rise in 10 years

Local chinpara or older driver using kei car suddenlyi being turned upside down in normal road, that's more less Japan's inaka way of life.

Total disregard of speed limits, seat belt laws, and red lights is coming home to roost.

Walking pedestrians at high risk.

Thankfully, newer car models, even keis, are equipped with safety features that help to prevent such accidents. As older vehicles are replaced with these newer ones, we should hopefully see a reduction.

The photo is of the failed Honda Z-Box model. Sales were low because buyers prefer the wheels to be on the bottom.

@redemption

pedestrians here are lunatics, they seem to expect drivers to stop immediately when they cross the red light and even they are in the wrong, drivers are expected to pay for the damages.

Driving standards here do seem to be quite lacking. Poor enforcement I think - you just wouldn't get away with some of the things I've seen on Tokyo roads in other cities.

Road rage here is also insane - everyone here is convinced they're a driving genius.

With all that said, last year was a record low in traffic deaths in Japan*. So a 2.1% increase probably doesn't mean that things are suddenly getting worse.

*https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14812779

I find it amazing that the local Police have enough time to pull me over and check I still own my bike every few months, but they dont seem to give a hoot about all the drivers running red lights, watching TV, using their phones, not wearing seatbelts, chucking trash out of the windows (at night), allowing their small children to climb all over the car whilst its moving.

Where I live, stop signs have a nice clean white line that tells drivers to stop the vehicle before the white line, yet literally everyone puts on the brakes after they pass the white line. This catches me off guard all the time since it always seems like they are going and I have to swerve out of the way. Same with cyclists, these stop signs should be treated as a slow down and look for oncoming traffic sign for them, yet they proceed to speed through blind spots and expect cars to stop for them. I am actually surprised the accident rate here isn't higher.

allowing their small children to climb all over the car whilst its moving.

Also, having a 3 year old child in the front passenger seat. Were they not taught on the dangers of airbags for fragile children?

Japanese drivers are terrible

Local chinpara or older driver using kei car suddenlyi being turned upside down in normal road, that's more less Japan's inaka way of life.

Couldnt agree more. Actually how do you even achieve that stunt in the picture without the help of a typhoon?

The photo is of the failed Honda Z-Box model. Sales were low

N-BOX, one of the best selling vehicles of all time in Japan. I owned one. It has every feature to help you drive safely.

Total disregard of speed limits, seat belt laws, and red lights is coming home to roost.

Read again:

Of the 1,182 total people who died, 417 were walking

pedestrians here are lunatics, they seem to expect drivers to stop immediately when they cross the red light and even they are in the wrong, drivers are expected to pay for the damages.

I'm not sure about the other prefectures, but here in Tokyo no one knows how to walk or cycle properly, probably because no one ever bothers to get a drivers license so they spend their whole lives walking around without the most basic knowledge about traffic signs or how drivers see (or cannot see) them.

This and the selfish zombies that dont bother being aware of other people around.

For gods sake, even without a smartphone some japanese simply refuse to look to a car coming from the opposite direction in a very narrow road, always giving that typical japanese cynical blank stare, creating a very dangerous situation if you're not patient enough to actually stop the car and wait for the zombie to pass, where there was plenty of space for both of us to go through.

I'm not surprised with these numbers.

I actually believe one of the main factors of the yearly decline in accidents is actually population aging/decline.

The National Police Agency attributed the increase to fewer deaths when restrictions on movement were in place during the pandemic and the subsequent return to normal when curbs were lifted.

Doesn't really hold water as the increase was the first in 10 years for the time period but there were six non-pandemic years in the time frame where no curbs were in place.

On a per capita basis, Japan had just 2.24 deaths per 100,000 residents, less than a fifth the US rate of 12.7 per 100,000.

Deaths per capita, per vehicle and per 100,000km driven encourage widely varying conclusions as to which countries' roads are safe or dangerous. The USA comes out worse than Japan on all three metrics though.

factchecker

Japanese drivers are terrible

No more terrible than most places, I imagine. And, judging from videos I've seen from around the world, possibly better than some.

The biggest problem with driving in Japan is the infrastructure. The roads are simply terrible. Way too narrow. Poorly lit. Winding, twisting, and hilly, creating many blind spots. No sidewalks. Utility poles and signposts in the roadway. (WTF?) Crazy cyclists. Zombie pedestrians. And so on.

The expressways are in generally good condition, as far as the surface condition goes. BUT...usually only two lanes in each direction, no shoulders, narrow-ish lanes, ridiculously complicated ramps and signage, cartoonishly low speed limits, etc make them more difficult to drive than the typical Interstate in the US. Plus, the tolls are at least double what they should be.

So, yeah, Japan has its share of bad drivers like anywhere else. But, the driving environment is probably the worst of any "first world" nation.

Of the 1,182 total people who died, 417 were walking

This and the selfish zombies that dont bother being aware of other people around.

Those walker just think that if they are don't care about surrounding, other will. Unfortunately that's not true, that even cost their lives.

No more explanation drivers from all continents are just plain Bad Drivers, no exceptions.

finally rich

"The photo is of the failed Honda Z-Box model. Sales were low"

N-BOX, one of the best selling vehicles of all time in Japan.

"N" spelled sideways is "Z".

Doh!

How many of the pedestrians killed were on light controlled crossing where cars turning left have a green light at the same time as those crossing on foot?

"N" spelled sideways is "Z".

Doh!

I saw what you did there.

Reality is, people are used to diss these kei-cars a lot for no reason at all... perfect cars for people who drive with only 1-2 people max or just their pets and dont travel on highways every weekend. I see very old people holding down the traffic with their long and powerful sedans, cant imagine how they even manage to drive in narrow residential roads. Unless you're driving through a typhoon, N-BOX is one of the safest and useful cars to move you around.

The indigenous people of this country are wonderful drivers.

At junctions, all cars should come to a halt enabling pedestrians to cross in any direction like at the Shibuya crossing.

Nothing to see in that picture really! All sorts of keis were blown over during the typhoon down here, and them flipping is a rather common occurrence.

At junctions, all cars should come to a halt enabling pedestrians to cross in any direction like at the Shibuya crossing.

When there are no people at a marked crosswalk or marked intersection, hell no "all cars" should not have to stop! Asking for traffic jams and stop the flow of traffic, which will cause even MORE accidents.

The Shibuya crossing is a signaled cross, and cars DO typically stop when the lights are red. Pedestrians can wait to cross too! Problem is too many old folks dont pay attention and just think they can walk whenever or where ever they want, causing more accidents!

That Kei car sort of reminds me of my dog when he gets tired in this heat and just slumps over on his side.

Hope its owner is giving it enough water.

At junctions, all cars should come to a halt enabling pedestrians to cross in any direction like at the Shibuya crossing.

At some of the large junctions this can work.

Japan has the idea that lowering the average speed of vehicular travel reduces accidents but research in the UK in the 1970s in Bristol showed that having smooth travel was safer. Less lights, more give way signs and roundabouts. The turn left driving while pedestrians and cyclists are crossing is designed to give walkers longer to cross but in reality gives them more chance of being hit by a driver hurrying to get around the corner before the light changes.

finally rich

Reality is, people are used to diss these kei-cars a lot for no reason at all...

TBF, there are some legitimate reasons to diss them.

perfect cars for people who drive with only 1-2 people max or just their pets and dont travel on highways every weekend.

100% agree. Great for local roads, in the city or country. In fact, we've been thinking of getting a 4WD Hustler or Canbus to keep at our 2nd house. We would use our regular car to get there, and the kei to get around locally while there.

Unfortunately, they are allowed on the expressway. They really shouldn't be. Highway-speed accidents, totally survivable in standard vehicles, leave keis crumpled up like discarded paper wrappers.

And, many young couples buy them for their families, with 2-3 kids jumping around in the back. I certainly wouldn't have felt comfortable doing that when my kids were small.

Luckily, aside from living in Okinawa, I never saw a need to own a car in Japan, and never did.

Thanks "JR".

Of those who died or were injured when riding a bicycle, 12.2 percent were wearing helmets, up 2.1 percentage points from the same period a year before and the highest level since comparable data became available 

I hope the the families of the victims can find some consolation in the knowledge that their loved ones had been wearing a helmet when they were killed by a car or truck.

yokohamarides

   Of those who died or were injured when riding a bicycle, 12.2 percent were wearing helmets, up 2.1 percentage points from the same period a year before and the highest level since comparable data became available

> I hope the the families of the victims can find some consolation in the knowledge that their loved ones had been wearing a helmet when they were killed by a car or truck.

Were they wearing the correct type of helmet and were they wearing it in the correct way with the straps fastened?

There is really no good reason for speed limiters to not come installed in every passenger car sold.

Doesn’t surprise me. I’ve been back since December and o find drivers aggressive and not following the rules as strictly as they did in the past. With an aging and growing self entitled culture it’s just going to keep getting worse.

Those walker just think that if they are don't care about surrounding, other will. Unfortunately that's not true, that even cost their lives

Victim blaming is disgusting.

There is really no good reason for speed limiters to not come installed in every passenger car sold.

Yes there is! I am going to guess that you are too young to know when this actually was a "thing" here in Japan, and the "bells" that rang when the vehicle was being driven over 60 here.

You will have to set the "limit" at a minimum of 120 km/h as that is the speed for the expressway toll road. So basically you are thinking that adding costs to a vehicle to "prevent" speeding is the answer. It's not!

Yubaru - I suppose you’re too old to understand GPS technology?

Not especially advanced technology already exists to keep speeds under the limit of whatever road a driver is on. This would save countless lives.

I've always suspected Japanese cars look like the centre of gravity is a bit higher and that they might topple easily.

About half of the deaths were walking or cyclists. I know from previous years that roughly 40% of road traffic death in Japan occur at light controlled crossings. Two reasons for this, as I said before cars turning left while pedestrians are crossing straight and also vehicles passing on red and pedestrians and cyclists just stepping out on the G of green without looking. Look before you cross, even with a green light.

I suppose you’re too old to understand GPS technology?

I KNOW you don't understand GPS technology either as it is called Intelligent Speed Assistance Technology or ISAT, that is used in conjunction with GPS.

So if you are going to make assumptions about something or someone, get your information correct first!

> garypenToday 09:51 am JST

The photo is of the failed Honda Z-Box model. Sales were low because buyers prefer the wheels to be on the bottom.

Gary, great to hear that sense of humour that made you famous back in the Zzap64 days mate.

I was your biggest fan. :)

ChabbawangaToday 10:08 am JST

I find it amazing that the local Police have enough time to pull me over and check I still own my bike every few months, but they dont seem to give a hoot about all the drivers running red lights, watching TV, using their phones, not wearing seatbelts, chucking trash out of the windows (at night), allowing their small children to climb all over the car whilst its moving.

Presumably, you are aware of the real reason they pull you over right?

Are you familiar with J-police practices?

From the looks of the k car turned over, it appears that driver must have been going at a high rate of speed and perhaps made a turn (around a corner) and while doing so tried to correct the turn which would cause the car to swing in one direction as the driver tried to correct the turn this caused the car to turn over on its side.

Strange photo. The tipped car is parallel and very close to the curb. Unless they were driving mostly on the sidewalk, maybe they parked and blocked the driveway of a circus strongman who tipped the car in a fit of annoyance?

I KNOW you don't understand GPS technology either as it is called Intelligent Speed Assistance Technology or ISAT, that is used in conjunction with GPS. 

So if you are going to make assumptions about something or someone, get your information correct first!

You’re right - and like I said, there is no reason not to put it in every motor vehicle. It will save lives.

https://www.ccjdigital.com/technology/article/15303962/esmart-speed-limiter-controls-speeds-based-on-location